Toe-steamer



T. J. WILLMA.

TOE STEAMER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1919.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- WITNESSES VENTOQ a M v 649%? 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEOD OR J. WILLMA, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTH TO PETER WARAXA AND ONEEIGHTH.TO JOHN T. WILLMA, BO'IH F MILWAUKEE,

WISCONSIN.

ron -s'rmmna.

1 Application filed May 5, 1919. Serial No. 294,723.

To all whom it may concern: I 1

Be it knownthat I, Tnnooon J. WILLMA,

' a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee. in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toe-Steamers, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichare a part of this specification.

The invention relates to. a toe steamer for steaming the box of the toe preparatory to drawing the leather over the box and lasting it in place.

,Heretofore toe steamers have been used in the form of steam jets but these are unsatisfactory because much steam is wasted and because there is a liabilitv of injuring the leather by contact with the steam. 'The present construction overcomes these difiiculties by providing a steam box from which the steam is allowed to escape only when it is needed and by providing means for 10- calizing the application of the steam to only that portion of the shoe where it is needed.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the device embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a front side view of the device, parts being broken away; Fig. 4c is a detail view of the tip steamer, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the top of the steam box; Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a detail bottom view of one of the valves in the steam box; Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the guard plates showing the toe end of the shoe inserted between them in inverted position.

The steam box 8 is made up of a bottom section 9 and a top section 10 carrying flanges 11 overlapping the top edge of the section 9, the sections being secured together by clamps consisting of wire loops. 12 secured to cam lever locks 13 on the section "9 and lockingly engaging screws or projections 14; on the section 10. Steam is supplied through a pipe 7 and returned through a pipe 6. On the top of the box there are openings 15 and 16 for each steamer with semi-circular flanges 17 and straight flanges 18 adjacent each set of openings 15 and 16 are spring hinged plates 19 forming valves for the steaming devices consisting of a'steamer for the top portion ofv the box of the shoe and one for tip of the toe, said devices being herein termed a box steamer and a tip steamer and both cooperating to steam the toe of the shoe preparatory to drawing the leather over the box and lasting it in place.

Thebox steamer consists of a receptacle 20, adjustable toe clamping and guard means, and means for automatically opening the valve or plate 19 associated therewith.

The receptacle 20 is semi-cylindrical in form with a front wall 21' having a toe receiving recess 22 therein. Flanges 28 and 24: are provided on the bottom of the receptacle to engage beneath the flanges 17 and .18 and saidreceptacle is held in this position'by means of pivoted latches '25 on the upper section ,9. A tight fit between the receptacle 20 and the top section of the box is thus provided and the receptacle may be removed when desired by turning down the receptacle out of engagement with those on the .steam box, I

Arms 26 are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends upon' the sides of the chute 20 and carry a shoe rest 27 at their outer ends and at their inner ends are operatively connected by links 28 to cranked arms 29 secured to a shaft30 journalled in the receptacle and having a centrally disposed integral arm 31 pivotally connected to an eyed member 32 on'the valve 19-and projecting upwardly through theopening 15. With this construction when the shoe is laid in the rest 27 in inverted position with the uncovered box portion of the toe projecting into the receptacle and the rest pressed 7, downwardly, then the valve '19 below the receptacle will be opened inwardlythrough the movement of the arms 26, links 28 and cranked shaft 30, and steam will pass from Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

tion during this steaming operation and also to prevent the escape of steam from the receptacle around the sides of the toe of the shoe, plates 33 are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends upon the wall 21 in spaced relation to receive the toe of the shoe between them and are automatically vmounted on the part 41 yieldingl moved to clamping and guarding position on-the opening of'the valve 19. This movement is accomplished by links34 pivotally connecting the inner ends of the arms 26 to levers 35 pivotally .mounted on the receptacle, which levers are pivotally connected by yielding links 36 to the ends 37 of levers 38 pivotally connected together at their innerends 39 and links 40 pivotally connected at one of their ends to the pivotal connections of the levers 38 and links 36 and pivotally connected'at their other ends to the lower ends of the plates 33. Springs 26 normally hold the arms 26 and rest 27 in their upper position, shown in Fig. 2. Each link 36 is made yieldin by forming it of two parts Hand 42 sli ably movable with respect to each other and having a spring 43 engag ing the lower end of the part 42. his connection provides a lost motion connection between the arms 26 and the plates 33 so that said plates are capable of an independent movement to yieldingly clamp the shoe between them on the downward 'movement of the arms 26. As the plates 33 are disposed adjacent the recess 22in the wall 21 when the shoe is placed in position, the inward movement of the plates against the sides of the shoe will close up the sides of the recess not occupied by the shoe and thus prevent the steam from injuring the upper leather.

The tip steamer consists of a housing 44 having a steam conduit 45 and a long narplates against segmental-toothed latches 53 pivotally mounted on top of the housing. The adjustment of the plates with respect to each other provides for shoes of difl'erent sizes and widths. V, I

.The valve 19 for the tip steamer is actuated in a manner similar to that previously described for the other valve. A rest 54 is. carried by arms55-pivotally the upper.

mounted on the housing 44 and connected by links 56 connected to cranked arms 57 on a shaft 58 connected to the valve 19 in a manner identical with that for the previously described device. A spring 59 n0rmally holds the arms 55 and rest 54 in upper position. With this construction when r the shoe is laid in the rest 54 in inverted position with the sides of the box' portion engaging the stop plates 50, the uncovered tip will be disposed over the orifice and'the leather disposed beneath the orifice andprotected at the side by the plates, and'when the rest is pressed downwardly the valve 19.

opens inwardly to permit steam to pass from the boxthrough the. conduit 45 and orifice 46 against the shoe. r

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the steam is not used until actually needed and the shoe is in position to re-' ceive it and that the steam is directed against the part to be steamed and is preventedfrom injuring the upper leather.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a toe steaming device, the combina-;

tion, with a steam box provided with an opening, of a movable shoe rest, and a valve at the opening and operativelyconnectedto said rest and controlling said openlng.

2. In a toe steaming device, the combination, with a steam box provided with an opening, of a movable shoe rest, a valve-at the opening and operatively connectedto said rest and controlling said opening, and .means for positioning the toe of the shoe adj acent the opening and preventing steam injuring 3. In a toe steaming device, the combination, with a steam box provided with an opening, of a valve at the opening andcontrolling the passage of steam therethrough, andmeans for supporting a shoe adjacent said opening andoperating said valve.

4. In a toe steaming device, the combination, with a steam box provided with an opening, a valve at the opening and con trolling the flow of steam through said opening, shoe'supporting means for moving the valve, and adjustable guard plates adjacent the opening. V

- 5. Ina toe steaming device, the combination, with a steam box provided with an opening, a valve controlling the How of steam through said opening, a receptacle adjacent the opening, shoe clamping and guardingplates on said receptacle, and shoe 6. In a toe steaming device, the combination, with a steam box provided with an opening, of a shoe rest, movable supporting arms for said rest, a valve within the, box

beneath said opening, and a connection between said arms and valve for opening said valve on a depression of said rest, and means for normally closing said valve.

7. In a toe steaming device, the combination, with a steam box provided with an opening, of a valve within the box beneath the opening; shoe supporting means operating said valve, a receptacle adjacent the opening, and clamping and guarding plates operatively connected with said valve operating means and yieldingly engaging the shoe.

8. In a toe steaming device, the combination, with a steam box provided with an opening, a valve at the opening and controlling the How of steam through said opening, shoe supporting means for moving said valve, and yieldingly mounted guard members engageable with the shoe to prevent steam injuring the upper.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

THEODOR J. WILLMA. Witnesses:

R. S. C. CALDWELL, H. D. CHASE. 

